SERM. or cold heart, but are much concerned for him, and XXVII. put forth hearty wishes for his interests: we should wish him adorned with all virtue, and accomplished with all worthy endowments of soul; we should wish him prosperous success in all his designs, and a comfortable satisfaction of his desires; we should wish him with alacrity of mind to reap the fruits of his industry, and to enjoy the best accommodations of his life. Not formally and in compliment, as the mode is, but really and with a cordial sense, upon his undertaking any enterprise, we should wish him good speed; upon any prosperous success of his endeavours, we should bid him joy; wherever he is going, whatever he is doing, we should wish him peace and the presence of God with him: we should tender his health, his safety, his quiet, his reputation, his wealth, his prosperity in all respects; but especially with peculiar ardency we should desire his final welfare, and the happiness of his soul, that being incomparably his chief concern. Hence readily should we pour forth our prayers, which are the truest expressions of good desire, for the welfare of our neighbour, to him who is able to work and bestow it. Such was the charity of St. Paul for his countryRom. x. 1. men, signified in those words, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they may be saved; such was his love to the Philippians, God is my record, how greatly I long after you Phil. i. 8. all, in the bowels of Jesus Christ: and this I pray, 2 Cor. xiii. that your love may abound more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment. ἐπιποθῶ ὑμᾶς. 9. Such was St. John's charity to his friend Gaius, to 3 John 2. whom he said, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy SERM. soul prospereth. XXVII. Such is the charity, which we are enjoined to express toward all men, by praying for all men, in 1 Tim. ii. 3. conformity to the charity of God, who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Luke xxiii. Such is the charity we are commanded to use toward our enemies, blessing those who curse us, and Matt. v. 44. praying for those who despitefully use us, and per-34. secute us; the which was exemplified by our Lord, 1 Cor. iv.12. by St. Stephen, by all the holy apostles. Acts vii. 60. III. Charity doth imply a complacence or delightful satisfaction in the good of our neighbour; this is consequent on the former property, for that joy naturally doth result from events agreeable to our desire charity hath a good eye, which is not offended or dazzled with the lustre of its neighbour's virtue, or with the splendour of his fortune, but vieweth either of them steadily with pleasure, as a very delightful spectacle; it beholdeth him to prosper and flourish, to grow in wealth and repute, not only without envious repining, but with gladsome content: its property is to rejoice with them that rejoice; to par- Rom. xii. take of their enjoyments, to feast in their pleasures, to triumph in their success. 15. 26. As one member doth feel the health and the de- 1 Cor. xii. light which another immediately doth enjoy; so hath a charitable man a sensible complacence in the welfare and joy of his neighbour. His prosperity of any kind, in proportion to its importance, doth please him; but especially his spiritual proficiency and improvement in virtue doth SERM. yield matter of content; and his good deeds he beholdeth with abundant satisfaction. XXVII. 2 Cor. xiii.9. Phil. ii. 2. iv. I. I Thess. iii. 9. ii. 19. This is that instance of charity which St. Paul so frequently doth express in his Epistles, declaring the extreme joy he did feel in the faith, in the virtue, in the orderly conversation of those brethren to whom he writeth. This charity possessed St. John, when he said, 3 John 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 10. This is the charity of heaven, which doth even cheer the angels, and doth enhance the bliss of the Luke xv. 7, blessed spirits there; of whom it is said, There is joy in heaven over every sinner that repenteth. Hence this is the disposition of charitable persons, sincerely to congratulate any good occurrence to their neighbour; they are ready to conspire in rendering thanks and praise to the Author of their welfare, taking the good conferred on their neighbour as a blessing and obligation on themselves; so that they upon such occasions are apt to say with St. 1 Thess. iii. Paul, What thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes 2 Thes. i. 3. before God? and, We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and that the charity of every one of you all toward each other abound1Cor.i.4, 5. eth: and, I thank my God always on your behalf, Rom. i. 8. for the grace of God which is given you by Eph. i. 16. Jesus Christ, that in every thing ye are enriched 9. (Phil. i. 3. Col. i. 3. Thes.i. 2.) by him. Eph. v. 20. It is a precept of St. Paul, Give thanks always Vèρ Távтw; which is translated for all things, but XXVII. it might as well be rendered for all persons, accord- SERM. ing to that injunction, I exhort, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of Tim. ii. 1. thanks be made for all men: not only prayers are to be made, but thanksgivings are to be offered for all men, out of general charity. IV. Correspondently, love of our neighbour doth imply condolency and commiseration of the evils befalling him for what we love, we cannot without displeasure behold lying in a bad condition, sinking into decay, or in danger to perish; so, to a charitable mind, the bad state of any man is a most unpleasant and painful sight. Rom. xii. It is the property of charity to mourn with Kaisy. those that mourn; not coldly, but passionately, (for 15. it is to weep with those that weep,) resenting every man's case with an affection suitable thereto, and as he doth himself resent it. Is any man fallen into disgrace? charity doth hold down its head, is abashed and out of countenance, partaking of his shame is any man disappointed of his hopes or endeavours? charity crieth out alas, as if it were itself defeated: is any man afflicted with pain or sickness? charity looketh sadly, it sigheth and groaneth, it fainteth and languisheth with him : is any man pinched with hard want? charity if it cannot succour, it will condole: doth ill news arrive? charity doth hear it with an unwilling ear and a sad heart, although not particularly concerned in it. The sight of a wreck at sea, of a field spread with carcasses, of a country desolated, of houses burnt and cities ruined, and of the like calamities incident to mankind, would touch the bowels of any man; but the very report of them would affect the heart of SERM. charity. It doth not suffer a man with comfort or ease to enjoy the accommodations of his own state, while others before him are in distress: it cannot be merry while any man in presence is sorrowful: it cannot seem happy while its neighbour doth appear miserable: it hath a share in all the afflictions which it doth behold or hear of, according to that instance Zyx in St. Paul of the Philippians, Ye have done well, that ye did communicate with (or partake in) my afflictions; and according to that precept, Remember those which are in bonds, as bound with them. νοῦντε;. Heb.xiii. 3. Job xxx. 25. 12, 13, 14. Such was the charity of Job; Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor? Such was the charity of the Psalmist, even toward Psal. xxxv. his ingrateful enemies; They, saith he, rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul; but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I humbled my soul with fasting. I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother; I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother. 2 Cor.xi.29. Such was the charity of St. Paul; Who is weak, said he, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? with fervent compassion. Such was the charity of our Saviour; which so reigned in his heart, that no passion is so often attributed to him as this of pity, it being expressed to Mat.xiv.14. be the motive of his great works. Jesus, saith St. Matthew, went forth, and saw a great multitude, Kaì èoλayxvíoln en' avtoïs, and was moved (in his bowels) with compassion toward them, and he healed zayx- their sick: and, I have compassion on the multiMatt. xv. tude, because they have nothing to eat and I will ζομαι. 32 XX. 34. |